School Board may sell former Houma Elementary School property

Terrebonne Parish School District is considering selling the former Houma Elementary School.

Benjamin Oliver Hicks/Staff

Sydni DunnStaff Writer

Published: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 9:29 p.m.

West Park Elementary School has permanently closed its doors to students but could see new occupants if the Terrebonne Parish School Board approves selling the former site of Houma Elementary School.

The board's Finance, Insurance and Section 16 Lands Committee Monday recommended leasing or selling the land that hosts the old Houma Elementary building at 711 Grinage St. and 301 Academy St. in downtown Houma. The site is used as office space for the school district's federal and special education services workers.

Superintendent Philip Martin said the full board should adopt the recommendation at its meeting Tuesday.

If the land is sold, the employees who work in that building will move to the West Park Elementary building at 7573 Park Ave. West Park Elementary was one of four schools in Terrebonne Parish that closed with the end of the school year.

The downtown Houma property is on 3.43 acres of land and has a price tag of $882,000, or $5.90 per square foot, according to an appraisal by Logan Babin Real Estate and Appraisals. The price does not include the school building on site.

“(Logan) Babin did not include the building because he thinks there will be a negative value to the building,” Martin told the committee. “That's not something I want to give prospective bidders. The building is a liability.”

The building was built in 1931 and needs repair, he said, adding employees can't use the second floor because it's unstable. About 80 employees occupy the space, and it's time for them to move to a better facility, he said.

West Park is the best solution as it has the best location. It's also in good shape, with the exception of a few adaptations that need to be made, such as phone lines and additional parking.

If the board authorizes the land's sale or lease, then employees in the older building would make the transition to the new space in the next few months, he said.

Roosevelt Thomas, board member and committee vice chairman, argued the office space at the former Houma Elementary site must be worth something — even if just a penny.

“If you go and buy a lot tomorrow and it already has drainage and everything there, that means you don't have to put that in, and that's valuable,” Thomas said. “I don't think the school district can just give away a building. I'm not going to support anything where we will receive zero dollars for that building.”

Anyone interested in the land would have to take it “as is,” Martin said. He has no plans of getting another appraisal, he said.

The possible sale of the land and building is in the beginning stages, he said, but there is already one potential buyer.

Martin would not disclose the name of the interested party, but he confirmed that, if sold, the land would be used to build a type of government-sponsored housing.

Martin said advertisements for the land have started to run in the newspaper — the board granted him the authority to take that action during the consolidation of the closed schools — and the next step is bidding.

The bids must be at least 85 percent of the appraisal amount, he said. “No less.”

Martin said he doesn't want to rush the process and said the potential buyer is willing to work with the school district's time schedule.

“There are many steps that need to happen here,” he said. “But this is the most financially and economically wise thing to do.”

<p>West Park Elementary School has permanently closed its doors to students but could see new occupants if the Terrebonne Parish School Board approves selling the former site of Houma Elementary School.</p><p>The board's Finance, Insurance and Section 16 Lands Committee Monday recommended leasing or selling the land that hosts the old Houma Elementary building at 711 Grinage St. and 301 Academy St. in downtown Houma. The site is used as office space for the school district's federal and special education services workers. </p><p>Superintendent Philip Martin said the full board should adopt the recommendation at its meeting Tuesday.</p><p>If the land is sold, the employees who work in that building will move to the West Park Elementary building at 7573 Park Ave. West Park Elementary was one of four schools in Terrebonne Parish that closed with the end of the school year.</p><p>The downtown Houma property is on 3.43 acres of land and has a price tag of $882,000, or $5.90 per square foot, according to an appraisal by Logan Babin Real Estate and Appraisals. The price does not include the school building on site.</p><p>“(Logan) Babin did not include the building because he thinks there will be a negative value to the building,” Martin told the committee. “That's not something I want to give prospective bidders. The building is a liability.”</p><p>The building was built in 1931 and needs repair, he said, adding employees can't use the second floor because it's unstable. About 80 employees occupy the space, and it's time for them to move to a better facility, he said.</p><p>West Park is the best solution as it has the best location. It's also in good shape, with the exception of a few adaptations that need to be made, such as phone lines and additional parking. </p><p>If the board authorizes the land's sale or lease, then employees in the older building would make the transition to the new space in the next few months, he said.</p><p>Roosevelt Thomas, board member and committee vice chairman, argued the office space at the former Houma Elementary site must be worth something — even if just a penny.</p><p>“If you go and buy a lot tomorrow and it already has drainage and everything there, that means you don't have to put that in, and that's valuable,” Thomas said. “I don't think the school district can just give away a building. I'm not going to support anything where we will receive zero dollars for that building.”</p><p>Anyone interested in the land would have to take it “as is,” Martin said. He has no plans of getting another appraisal, he said.</p><p>The possible sale of the land and building is in the beginning stages, he said, but there is already one potential buyer.</p><p>Martin would not disclose the name of the interested party, but he confirmed that, if sold, the land would be used to build a type of government-sponsored housing.</p><p>Martin said advertisements for the land have started to run in the newspaper — the board granted him the authority to take that action during the consolidation of the closed schools — and the next step is bidding.</p><p>The bids must be at least 85 percent of the appraisal amount, he said. “No less.”</p><p>Martin said he doesn't want to rush the process and said the potential buyer is willing to work with the school district's time schedule.</p><p>“There are many steps that need to happen here,” he said. “But this is the most financially and economically wise thing to do.”</p>